Life, Laughter, Food & Love

Month: July 2012

I have to say that there is no better feeling then getting out the door early in the morning (kids in tow) and getting all of your errands done before lunch! I know it doesn’t seem like an amazing feat and there are probably millions of moms out there who do it better everyday, but it is just such a great feeling when everyone pulls in the same direction and you can get all those pesky to-dos checked off and really start enjoying your day!

Like this:

School supplies tend to be a big ordeal, but this year the school that my older children go to have offered an online service so you can purchase all your supplies already packaged up. Brilliant! Now I get to spend time combing my favorite shops looking for the little things that will make their school year special and show off their personalities.

These are some of my favorite items! The adorable pencil case and my all time favorite colored pencils (which I use to use when I was growing up in France) and of course the french cahier “notebook” for all of their doodles, notes and assignment reminders. I always try to get the kid school supplies that will be a little different and fun.

Like this:

This week we bring you to one of our favorite local shops in Asheville, North Carolina… L.O.F.T. of Asheville prides itself on offering treasures, gifts and some of the funniest products I’ve ever seen in my life! You name it they have it and the team that works at L.O.F.T. couldn’t be friendlier and more helpful! From pink flamingos to the most amazing hair clip you will ever need (Medusa’s Heirlooms of France) and everything else in between (and we mean everything!)

Asheville, North Carolina is one of the great Americana cities to visit, overflowing with amazing craft breweries, restaurants, art and live music… you will never be disappointed or bored in Asheville. Be sure to stop in at the L.O.F.T. of Asheville to pick up a few mementos for yourself and those quirky characters in your life!

Like this:

It is a brand new day and I am so happy and thankful to be able to celebrate with my love! Happy birthday to the most wonderful husband, father and best friend a girl could ever have! Looking forward to so many more birthdays together. Tonight will be a night to remember… laughs, drinks, good times and lots of love!

Like this:

So, I lost my cool today and my children witnessed a side of me I thought they (or anyone for that matter) would never see. I proceeded to apologize profusely to my children and explained to them that I am, after all, only human and that I get tired, stressed and overwhelmed just like they do. And even though I’m “suppose” to be equipped with the mental/emotional tools that adults use to keep themselves in check, sometimes you just reach a point where enough is enough.

I felt awful… like I failed my children in some way. My anger wasn’t directed at them in any way, but they were there to witness it and that makes it just as bad. Just when I started to feel like my parenting skills really sucked my oldest daughter turned around and used one of my lines on me… “Mom, it’s ok to get upset, the trick is not to make a habit out of it” and she kissed me on the forehead.

It’s amazing how much my kids teach me about myself everyday. I am so thankful to have them in my life and I know that tomorrow will be a better day.

Like this:

I was walking through the blogosphere world today and I felt an immense urge to paint my walls. We moved into our new home almost a year ago and I have yet to splash any meaningful color on the walls. Not a photo, not a print and only a few pieces of art hang in the living room. The rest of the house is barren of any life, as if no one lives here, an actual clear representation of my fear to commit to this house.

So, it’s time! Time to paint, hang memories, commit to this house and let my roots run wild. I need to finish my children’s room and display all of their simplicity and modernism, with their art, their cool mid century furniture and the immense collection of vintage finds. I’m excited to change the atmosphere and start living in every square inch of this beautiful place. I’m going to be daring, colorful and child-like in my color selections. This means I’m going to hit the antique stores and my favorite kid-friendly shop IKEA (or as my daughter says ICKY).

Technically “mon” in french means mine, so mon-day means “my day”! I love it when the start to my week is smooth. The sun was shining all day, the little ones have been in the best mood and I got some pretty good news that put a huge smile on my face! I’m now going to kick back enjoy the evening with the kids, cook up some shrimp, couscous, fresh vegetables from the garden and a bottle of wine. Hope you’re having a wonderful day!

Like this:

In exactly two hours my hubs will be getting off a plane from his trip to Alaska and I will finally be able to breathe! Every time he leaves town (which is every couple of weeks for a couple of weeks), I immediately start counting down the days of when he’ll return. It’s not that I don’t love all the amazing solo time I get to spend with the kids, but the fact is simply that I miss my guy! Ten years later and he still makes me laugh til it hurts, he makes me smile every time he walks into a room and I miss our early morning talks, sipping coffee on the front porch (I technically call it a stoop).

So tomorrow night we’ll be sipping wine, telling jokes, catching up and sitting close. Hope everyone has an amazing weekend and spend time with those you love!

Like this:

I woke up this morning to the tragic news that a gunman had opened fire in crowded movie theater, killing 12 and wounding more than 50. I feel such sadness for all those who were affected by this senseless attack, especially for those who have lost loved ones. I wondered weather or not to discuss this terrible tragedy with my older children and I felt that even though they are young, they have the capacity to comprehend tragedy and to feel compassion.

This tragedy made me realize that it is important to make my kids aware of the world in which we live in. My parents were children during the Holocaust and saw tragedy unfold in every direction and their experiences, their knowledge of the world around them, made them courageous, compassionate, hard-working and extremely loving. I try to live my life in the same way my parents did. I keep myself informed on important world issues and on current news events, because it’s important for my kids to be educated and to not be afraid of the harm a “few” choose to inflict in this world.

I decided to shield my kids from “regular” television last year, which means all they have access to is AppleTV, but I haven’t shielded them from life. In the sense that I believe allowing my kids to be informed about world events, including violence and injustice, is an important part of their ability to become empathetic citizens, but I believe that these are issues that they should hear from me rather than from television. This way they are not bombarded with images of violence, fear and pain, instead they are given the facts and allowed to ask questions, which turns into dialogue… something all parents need to have with their kids.